Fear
by lorrie
Summary: Here's a short story for Halloween. Hope you like it. (Contents includes reference to some cult rituals.)


"Fear" By Lorrie  
  
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, Washo Brother's Entertainment, etc, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)  
  
  
  
Sydney pulled her weapon as she walked down the dark corridor of the supposedly deserted building. She rounded the corner, following a female suspect as Gage and Walker had turned down another corridor after another. Trivette had remained outside with the body of a young girl, which had been found on the sidewalk.  
  
At the end of the corridor, the suspect slipped into a darkened room filled with flickering candlelight. Sydney cautiously followed.  
  
As she entered the room, she jumped as the door slammed shut and the candles were suddenly snuffed out. "I'm a Texas Ranger. Who's there?" She asked loudly after identifying herself.  
  
A male voice responded out of the darkness. "I'm your worst nightmare Ranger." Her gun was knocked from her grasp and a hand slapped over her mouth as she was lifted off of the floor by several hands and laid on a table where heavy straps were placed over her arms and legs, tightly securing her. Her struggling was futile. She tried to scream as a single light illuminated the most horrid, grotesque face she had ever seen, but a piece of duct tape was placed tightly over her mouth.  
  
The person Gage and Walker were chasing had given them the slip. "Where's Sydney?" Walker asked.  
  
"She went this way." Gage said as he pulled his weapon and ran down the same corridor Sydney had gone down earlier.  
  
Seeing a small flicker of light shining underneath a closed door at the end of the corridor, Walker called out to Gage. "Gage, here."  
  
The two Rangers busted through the door and heard people scattering out of the room. "Freeze, Texas Rangers!" Walker shouted as Gage found the light switch.  
  
When the lights came on, Gage ran to Sydney's side, quickly undoing the straps holding her to the table and removing the duct tape from her mouth. "You OK?" He asked, as she leaned heavily on him.  
  
She nodded. "Come on, don't let them get away!" She retrieved her weapon from the floor and the three Rangers began to round up the group of people.  
  
As Sydney faced one man, she cringed as he gazed mysteriously into her eyes. "I'm your worst nightmare, Ranger." He whispered in an eerie voice.  
  
"Hey!" Gage shouted as he handcuffed the man and pushed him towards the nearest police officer.  
  
He put his arm around Sydney when the room was cleared. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, lifting her chin to him.  
  
She nodded and slightly smiled. "I'm fine."  
  
"Gage, Sydney." Walker called out from the room where Sydney had been held. "In here."  
  
Sydney and Gage joined Walker. The room was almost as spooky with the lights on as it had been with them off.  
  
They found themselves standing on a pentagram in front of an alter-like object with blood on it.  
  
A look of pure horror came to Sydney's face. "Oh my Lord." She exclaimed as a cold chill coursed through her body.  
  
"Come on, let's get out of here." Gage put his arms around her and escorted her outside.  
  
********  
  
After a very restless night, Sydney woke at 6:00 and hit the shower. She closed her eyes as the warm water bathed her face. Then a sudden chill went through her body and she could almost swear she heard someone whisper: "I'm your worst nightmare, Ranger."  
  
"Gage?" She called out.  
  
Gage sat up in bed and heard Sydney call out to him again. "Gage!" He ran to the bathroom and pulled back the shower curtain.  
  
"Syd?" He said as he found her huddled in the corner of the shower, tears streaming down her face. Reaching over and turning off the water, he took her in his arms. "Oh baby." He soothed. "What is it?' What's wrong?"  
  
"You didn't hear it?" She asked, holding tightly to his strong shoulders.  
  
"Hear what?"  
  
"The voice. It was the same voice I heard yesterday."  
  
"Shh." He smoothed her wet hair. "Honey, yesterday was very traumatic for you. Your mind's just playing tricks on you."  
  
She nodded and pulled herself closer into Gage's chest, very afraid.  
  
*******  
  
"I'm having lunch with Alex, OK?" Sydney told Gage in a cheerful voice as she laid her hand gently on his shoulder.  
  
Gage stared at her for a moment. "You're OK now?"  
  
She nodded her head firmly. "I think it's like you said this morning. Yesterday was very traumatic."  
  
When Sydney left for lunch, Walker and Trivette joined Gage at his desk. "Is she OK?" Trivette asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure, why wouldn't she be?" Gage asked, pretending not to know what Trivette was talking about.  
  
"Gage, come on, cut the act. Sydney is definitely not herself today and after what happened yesterday . . ."  
  
"What else did you guys find out about that?" Gage asked, shifting the subject.  
  
"The blood on the podium, alter, whatever it was matched the blood type of the girl we found on the sidewalk." Trivette said.  
  
Gage closed his eyes and shook his head. "So what do we have here, a sacrifice?"  
  
"Don't jump to conclusions yet Gage." Walker cautioned.  
  
"Well, it's certainly what it looked like. The pentagram on the floor and the alter." Gage replied.  
  
Walker nodded. "I know and it probably is exactly what it looks like. We'll know more when Mike calls back with the lab results on the items that were found."  
  
"What did you guys find? I stepped out with Syd."  
  
"Two ceremonial knives covered in blood." Walker replied quietly.  
  
********  
  
As Sydney sat with Alex at the small café, she felt a sudden chill and shivered visibly.  
  
"Are you cold?" Alex asked.  
  
"Just a little chilled." Sydney replied, suddenly feeling very nervous. She shook it off and she and Alex placed their orders.  
  
They made small talk while waiting for their food to arrive. The waitress sat their plates in front of them and as Sydney started to eat, she began to feel very sick to her stomach. "Excuse me." She said, quickly excusing herself and all but running to the bathroom.  
  
She barely made it to the stall before losing her breakfast. "I must be getting the flu or something." She said to herself, exiting the stall and walking towards the sink to splash cold water on her face.  
  
She felt another chill, and as she looked in the mirror, she saw a dark, hooded figure standing behind her. "I'm your worst nightmare, Ranger." It hissed. She quickly spun around to find nothing behind her.  
  
"GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed at the image as Alex came into the bathroom to check on her.  
  
"Sydney? Honey are you OK? Who are you yelling at?" Alex noticed how pale Sydney was. "Are you sick?"  
  
She nodded, unable to explain what she had just experienced, at least not right now.  
  
"Would you like to try to finish lunch, or head back?" Alex offered.  
  
"Could we head back? I think I might see if Walker will let me have the rest of the evening off. My stomach is very queasy. I feel awful."  
  
Alex knew that it wasn't in Sydney's nature to whine. She accompanied her friend to the office for support as she asked Walker about taking the afternoon off.  
  
"If you're not feeling well, you should be at home." Walker replied after listening to her request.  
  
"Thanks Walker." She started to gather her things.  
  
Gage looked at Walker, his yes expressing his thoughts of wanting to go home with her.  
  
"Sorry Gage. I need you here." Walker said, reading the young Ranger's thoughts.  
  
"No problem." Gage replied. "I'll just make sure she gets to the car, OK?"  
  
Walker nodded as Gage put his arm around Sydney and walked with her to the parking lot. "Now, no stops on the way home and I want you to call me the minute you get there, OK?" He kissed her forehead. "Are you sure you don't mind being there alone? I mean, after this morning . . ."  
  
"This morning was my imagination working overtime." She said quietly, still not wanting to tell him about what had happened at lunch.  
  
"OK. Be careful and don't forget to call."  
  
"I won't. I'll see you tonight." She said as she got into the car.  
  
"Ok sweetheart. I love you." Gage replied as he closed her car door and went back into Ranger Headquarters.  
  
"You have to tell Gage." Walker told Alex as she relayed to him what she had seen and heard in the ladies room.  
  
"Have to tell Gage what?" He asked as he approached the group.  
  
Alex shifted as she stood beside of Walker. "Well, Sydney isn't acting quite herself today."  
  
"That much I know. She went though a lot during that bust yesterday." Gage said, still staring at Alex.  
  
"Gage, when she got sick at the café this afternoon, I went in the bathroom to check on her and I found her yelling into thin air. When I asked her about it, her face turned as pale as Jimmy's shirt." She noted Trivette's white shirt as she spoke.  
  
Gage sat heavily into his chair. "She had a similar experience this morning. I'm beginning to think she's stressed out."  
  
Walker thought for a moment and then turned towards his desk. He returned in a moment and faced Gage. "I don't do this often, but you and Sydney have been working really hard lately. I want both of you to take a few days off. Gage, take her somewhere quiet, somewhere away from everything that's going on here in Dallas, especially the case we're working on."  
  
Gage hesitated to take Walker up on his offer, knowing that they were already short-handed on this case. "Walker . . . "  
  
"It's an order Gage, not a request. Sydney needs some down time and I'm depending on you to see that she gets it."  
  
Gage pulled on his jacket, turning towards Walker once more before leaving. "You're sure about this?"  
  
"I'm sure." Walker said firmly.  
  
"Thanks Walker."  
  
*******  
  
Sydney parked the car outside of the apartment complex and sat for a moment contemplating the day's events. She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw the hooded figure once again. She screamed as she fumbled with the door latch and ran to the apartment that she and Gage shared, stealing glances behind her but seeing nothing.  
  
As she tried to unlock the door, she dropped her keys and a wave of fear came over her as she felt a presence behind her again and heard the eerie voice. "You can't run from me." It whispered hoarsely. "I chose you."  
  
The door finally unlocked and Sydney quickly pulled it opened and then slammed it shut behind her as she leaned against it.  
  
"You can't run from me." The voice said again, this time from inside the apartment.  
  
"Stop it! Leave me alone!" She screamed.  
  
Gage was making his way up the steps to the apartment when he heard Sydney scream. His casual walk turned into a full run, not knowing who might be attacking his partner. Finding the door unlocked, he ran inside and found Sydney standing in the middle of the room, screaming at the wall.  
  
"Syd! Syd, what is it?"  
  
"Don't you see it?" She screamed.  
  
Gage looked again in the direction of Sydney's gaze, but saw nothing. He shook his head. "No honey, I don't see anything." He took her into his arms and tried to soothe her as she sobbed.  
  
"I'm going crazy Gage. I'm seeing things, I'm hearing voices. I must really be losing it."  
  
He smoothed her hair as he held her close. "You're not loosing it honey. You're just a little stressed out and I think I might have the perfect remedy."  
  
"Yeah? What would that be?" She asked.  
  
"A little R & R. Walker gave us a few days off so I think I'll call Mark and get the name of that friend of his he was telling us about that has the house in the country that he's trying to sell."  
  
"Walker gave us a few days off, why? We're in the middle of a murder investigation." Sydney said, shocked by Gage's words.  
  
"He's worried about you Syd. We all are."  
  
She started to protest, but then realized that if Walker had noticed things weren't right, then she might really be a little overworked. She was usually very on top of her game.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
She looked into Gage's eyes. "That sounds good. Why don't you go ahead an call Mark while I start dinner."  
  
He kissed the top of her head and went into the bedroom to call his old friend. After a few minutes of conversation with Mark and then another call to the owner of the house, everything was set up.  
  
"We can leave tonight, if you'd like." He offered.  
  
Sydney shook her head. "No, I'd rather just leave in the morning. We need to pack tonight."  
  
"OK, whatever you want." He said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her again.  
  
*********  
  
"So, do you think Gage will be able to persuade Sydney to get away for awhile?" Trivette asked Walker as they continued to work on the case.  
  
"I hope so. This case became too personal for her when she was attacked yesterday."  
  
"Duh! I'd take it personal too if someone strapped me to a table and held a knife over me."  
  
Walker shot Trivette a stern look. "You heard what Alex said, Sydney is still hearing a voice and evidently seeing something too."  
  
"You don't really believe that she's actually 'seeing' something, do you?"  
  
"Well, stranger things have happened."  
  
"Name one." Trivette challenged.  
  
"How about the burning cross in front of the church on Christmas night a few years ago. Do you remember how it extinguished itself? Or the spirits that attacked the grave robbers at the reservation. Or . . ."  
  
"Ok, Ok. I get the point, but those weren't evil things."  
  
"True." Walker replied, his thoughts pondering the prospect of evil spirits and their existence.  
  
*********  
  
"Are you ready?" Gage asked the following morning after carrying down his suitcase and coming back for Sydney's.  
  
"Yep." She replied.  
  
"Did you sleep well last night?"  
  
"I sure did, like a baby. No bad dreams, no visions and no voices."  
  
"Good." He leaned down and kissed her.  
  
"Here, this is it." She handed him her suitcase. "Oh shoot, I forgot something. I'll lock up and be down in a minute."  
  
"Ok." Gage said as he headed towards the car.  
  
Sydney stepped into the bathroom and flipped on the light. She was preoccupied looking for her make up case, but gasped when she looked up and saw the figure in her mirror.  
  
"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME." It hissed again.  
  
Sydney quickly grabbed her make up case and ran from the apartment. She decided halfway down the steps that she wouldn't tell Gage about this. She didn't want to worry him.  
  
********  
  
Downstairs in the holding cell of the Dallas police department, Walker and Trivette prepared to face the ten people they had captured yesterday in the abandoned warehouse.  
  
Walker stopped the guard as he prepared to unlock the cells. "I only want to see this one." He pointed at the one who had been standing over Sydney when he and Gage had burst in.  
  
The guard brought the man into the interrogation room and Walker and Trivette began to talk to him.  
  
"What's your name?" Trivette asked.  
  
"Devon Garrison, but I am also Og." He replied.  
  
"Og?" Trivette asked, glimpsing at Walker who was on the opposite side of the room.  
  
"Yes, Og."  
  
"Well, Mr. Garrison, can you tell me exactly what was going on yesterday in the warehouse when Rangers Walker and Gage entered?"  
  
"We were about to sacrifice the chosen one." Garrison replied.  
  
"Ranger Cooke?"  
  
"If that is her given name, yes. We had asked for another sacrifice. We asked that a woman with raven hair present herself and as soon as we asked, our request was granted. The woman you call Ranger Cooke entered the room and was prepared for sacrifice. He is unhappy because she was not made to be his. He will continue to follow her until she is sacrificed."  
  
Walker's eyes were ablaze. "So, you're trying to tell me that you and your little followers have summoned up a demon that likes Ranger Cooke and wants to make her his own?"  
  
Garrison grinned an evil grin and laughed, and then his face became very serious. "That's exactly what I'm saying Ranger. She will belong to him or die."  
  
"Who is he?" Trivette asked.  
  
"His name is 'Zepar' and yes, he wants the one with the raven hair." Garrison began to rock back and forth, his eyes focused straight ahead.  
  
"Garrison, what about the blonde we found on the sidewalk? We can link your DNA to hair found inside the knife wound." Trivette said.  
  
Garrison continued to stare straight ahead and then bowed his head. "I will say no more."  
  
"Come on Trivette, we're getting nowhere with this guy." Walker scoffed as he tapped Trivette's shoulder.  
  
Garrison suddenly spoke up. " 'Zepar' says the one with the straw colored hair was of no use to him. He needs the one with the raven hair. He was disappointed with our first choice and chose to punish us by allowing you and the other Ranger to find us."  
  
"We found you on our own accord, it had nothing to do with this 'Zepar'!" Walker exclaimed and he and Trivette left the room.  
  
Garrison remained seated, the evil grin appearing on his face again.  
  
********  
  
Gage drove up the long driveway to the beautiful old farmhouse owned by a friend of Mark's. "Oh Gage, this is beautiful!"  
  
Gage smiled. "I'm glad you like it. We have it until Monday." He began to unpack the truck. "Hey, Mark said the key would be in the mailbox."  
  
Sydney walked to the mailbox and retrieved the key and opened the door while Gage was still unpacking the trunk. The house was fully furnished and Mark's friend had left the electricity on, knowing that the winters in Dallas could sometimes be harsh and he certainly didn't want the pipes to burst.  
  
Gage dropped the suitcases just inside the doorway and called out to Sydney. "Syd? Where are you?"  
  
"In here." She yelled back from the living room where she was admiring several beautiful wall hangings.  
  
"It's a little drafty in here, isn't it?" Gage asked.  
  
"Um? Oh, I hadn't noticed, but now that you mention it, yes, it is a little drafty." She rubbed her arms.  
  
"I'll get a fire started. Would you like to check out the bedroom, or do you want me to go with you?"  
  
"No, go ahead and get the fire going, I'll see what's up there."  
  
Gage stepped outside the back door and started to gather the firewood, bringing in a few logs at a time while Sydney made her way up the staircase, several steps creaking under her feet.  
  
She found the master bedroom and opened the curtains. As she admired the view she heard the steps creak, causing her to turn around. "Gage?" She called out, but no one answered. Passing it off as the house settling, she went back downstairs to see if Gage had the fire started.  
  
"Hey, there you are." Gage said as he heard her come down.  
  
"Yeah, here I am." She replied, sounding slightly nervous.  
  
"Are you alright?" Gage asked, pulling her into his embrace.  
  
She nodded as she returned the hug and started towards the fireplace. "Ooo, this is nice."  
  
Gage smiled. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" He placed two oversized pillows on the floor near the hearth. "Come here." He patted one of the pillows.  
  
Sydney sat down and soon; they were wrapped in each other's arms, talking about their future together.  
  
"I love you so much Gage."  
  
"I love you too." Their lips met and a passionate kiss ensued. As they were kissing, Sydney heard a loud voice speaking directly to her.  
  
"You are mine! You can belong to no one else! Get rid of him now or he will die!" The voice was menacing and demanding. Sydney pulled out of Gage's embrace.  
  
"What's wrong Syd?"  
  
"Nothing, I'm just a little tired."  
  
"Syd, it's only 3:00." Gage replied, looking at his watch.  
  
"I know. I just . . . I . . ."  
  
"It's here, isn't it?" He asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The voice. You heard it again, didn't you?"  
  
"You believe me? You don't think I'm crazy?"  
  
"I never said I thought you were crazy. Those were your words." He paused. "You did hear it again, didn't you?"  
  
Sydney nodded. "It doesn't seem to like us being together."  
  
"Ah, a jealous spirit is it?" Gage joked.  
  
"Gage, I don't think it's a friendly spirit, if that's what it is. I don't know what to think anymore. I never believed in this stuff until yesterday and now all of a sudden, not only am I not a skeptic anymore, I'm face to face with a spirit."  
  
"An evil spirit." Gage laughed.  
  
Sydney looked towards the ceiling and screamed out at him, "GAGE!" He looked up just as a huge chandelier fell to the floor, narrowly missing him.  
  
Sydney wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Are you OK?"  
  
"Yeah. What made that thing fall?"  
  
"I don't know, but Gage, can we please leave? Now!"  
  
"Leave? We just got here."  
  
"I know, but it's not safe. I mean if that huge chandelier fell, what else might be wrong with the house? Maybe that's why it hasn't been sold."  
  
Gage shook his head. "Maybe."  
  
"Please, can we leave now?"  
  
"Tell you what, if you still want to leave in the morning, we'll leave at first light, but I'm really wiped out and I'd like to get a little rest, OK?"  
  
"Gage."  
  
"Syd, please." He pleaded.  
  
She looked upward with her eyes closed and then focused on Gage's face. "OK, but just for tonight. We leave in the morning."  
  
"Agreed." Gage said.  
  
***********  
  
"Walker, what do you make of that guy, Garrison?"  
  
"He's a nut."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean maybe there really is something to that 'Zepar'."  
  
"Trivette, don't tell me you're buying into this mumbo jumbo."  
  
"Well, you said it first, stranger things have happened."  
  
"I just hope Sydney's OK."  
  
"I'm sure she is. Gage was going to take her to a nice secluded little spot out in the country for some R & R."  
  
"Good, because we're going to need them both well rested when they get back."  
  
*******  
  
Gage coaxed Sydney into taking a quiet walk with him along the creek. As it began to get dark, Sydney suggested that they head back to the house for dinner.  
  
"So, what did you have in mind for dinner?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know. What did you have in mind?"  
  
"How about spaghetti?"  
  
"Sounds good. Would you like to fix the salad?"  
  
"Sure. It'll be fun." He replied as he stepped into the bathroom to wash up. As he reached for a towel, he could have sworn he heard a low moan. "Syd, did you say something?"  
  
"No." She replied, stepping from the kitchen as he came down the stairs. "What did you hear?"  
  
"Nothing I guess. It just sounded like a low moan."  
  
"Oh great, now I'm rubbing off on you."  
  
"No, I don't think so." He scoffed.  
  
"So, now you don't believe in ghosts." She challenged.  
  
"I didn't say that. I'm just not so sure about your evil spirit."  
  
After dinner, they made their way to the bedroom. "Oh shoot, I forgot to put the milk back in the 'fridge." Sydney said, as they were halfway up.  
  
"I'll get it." Gage said as he turned to go back down the steps. When he reached the kitchen, he grabbed the container of milk off of the table and placed it back in the refrigerator. When he turned around, an unseen force hit him square in the jaw, knocking him backwards with a loud thud.  
  
When Sydney heard the noise in the kitchen, she bolted back downstairs. She tried frantically to open the kitchen door, but it wouldn't budge. "Gage! Gage, what's going on?" She yelled.  
  
As soon as Gage recovered from the blow to his face, he brought himself up to his elbows and shook with fright as he saw a huge figure in a dark robe and hood, glaring at him. "Who . . . are you?" He stammered. "Wh . . . wh . . .what do you want?"  
  
"She is mine and you must die!" The figure yelled as a heavy butcher's block dropped from the countertop above Gage's head. Gage looked up as the figure looked towards the counter and saw the block beginning to drop just in time to move himself out of harm's way.  
  
"You must die!" The figure said again.  
  
"Sorry, today isn't a good day to die." Gage scoffed as he got to his feet and ran for the kitchen door. He fumbled with the knob, finding that the door wouldn't budge. As he tried to escape, her heard Sydney's voice.  
  
"Gage! Gage, what's going on?"  
  
"Syd! Syd, the door's stuck. Get me out of here!" He yelled.  
  
He turned to see if the hooded figure was still there, already knowing that it was as he could feel its presence behind him. As he turned, he saw a set of steak knives poised above their holder, as the figure aimed his hand towards the kitchen door, the knives flew across the room with great speed, heading straight for Gage.  
  
Gage tried to move, but found that his feet wouldn't cooperate. As the knives closed in, he ducked and leaned on the kitchen door in fear as the knives propelled themselves into the wood, burying the blade almost a full two inches. "SYD, help me get this door opened!"  
  
Sydney pulled her gun. "Gage, get away from the door, I'm going to shoot the lock!"  
  
This time his feet moved and he made a dive for the floor as Sydney opened fire with expert accuracy, sending the door lock flying and opening the door. She looked terrified as she saw the steak knives embedded in the door.  
  
"Thank God!" He cried out as he got to his feet. The two ran to the front door only to find it locked.  
  
"It won't open!" Sydney screamed as an almost deafening screeching noise filled the air. They both reached for each other as the figure appeared before them.  
  
"I have explained that she is mine and that you must die! I will not change my mind!" It exclaimed angrily.  
  
Sydney cringed at the very sight of it, as did Gage. "You can't have me and you certainly can't have him!" She replied.  
  
The spirit turned its hand inward and then outward towards them, producing what appeared to be a large ball of lightening. "He must die!" It repeated as it hurled the ball of lightening towards Gage.  
  
Gage jumped aside and the ball of electricity ignited the door, burning it quickly, allowing Gage and Sydney an escape.  
  
They were in the car in an instant and drove back towards Dallas without a sound.  
  
"You cannot run from me!" A voice suddenly said from the backseat of the car, sending a chill through both Gage and Sydney and causing Gage to lose control of the car. They hit a tree and when Sydney came to, Walker was standing over her as rescue workers tried to free her from the wreckage.  
  
"Walker, what happened?" She asked.  
  
"Shh. It's going to be Ok Sydney. You're going to be fine."  
  
"Gage?" She asked.  
  
"The EMT's have him in the back of the squad. He's fine too." Walker replied as Gage joined them.  
  
"Hey sweetie. Are you sure you're OK? That deer gave us a pretty hard lick."  
  
"Deer? What deer?"  
  
"The deer that jumped off of the embankment and landed on the car. Scared the life out of me." Gage replied.  
  
"Gage, where are we?" Sydney asked, still fuzzy on the details of recent events.  
  
"We were on our way out of town, remember? Mark set us up with that buddy of his who's trying to sell his house out in the country."  
  
Sydney shook her head slightly.  
  
"Hey, you have to be still Miss." The EMT informed her. "We're going to get a collar on you and place you on a backboard as a precaution. You took a pretty hard hit on the head there."  
  
After being checked out in the emergency room, it was determined that Sydney had, in fact, suffered a mild concussion, but the doctors allowed her to go home, as long as Gage agreed to stay with her for the next 24 hours.  
  
When they were home, she turned to Gage, apologizing. "Guess our trip is out."  
  
"Well, it doesn't have to be, but I wasn't too sure you were up to traveling."  
  
"I'm not." She replied. "My head hurts."  
  
"I'm sorry honey. Here, let me get you something." He met her in the bedroom with a glass of water and two aspirin.  
  
"Gage, I'm a little fuzzy on the last day or so. Can you fill me in?"  
  
"Sure, I'll try. What do you want to know?"  
  
"What case did we just finish?"  
  
"The big drug bust we've been working on for the past two months. That's why Walker agreed to let us have a week off."  
  
"There was no murder investigation?" She asked.  
  
Gage thought for a moment. "The last murder investigation we did was right before the drug dealing thing. I thought you never wanted to talk about it again." He stared at her.  
  
"Was it a satanic group?"  
  
Gage laid on the bed beside of her, taking her in his arms. "You really don't remember anything about it, do you?"  
  
Sydney shook her head. "I'm not sure. While I was unconscious, I thought that we were working on a murder investigation of a young blonde woman. I was following a suspect through a warehouse and when I went into a darkened room, I was taken by this group of people and . . . well, I was almost sacrificed." She looked at Gage's face. "Am I going crazy or did that really happen?"  
  
Gage nodded and breathed in deeply. "That really happened Syd. If Walker and I hadn't have came in when we did, Garrison would have plunged that knife into your heart, I don't doubt it for a minute." He sat up and lifted her face to him. "You haven't talked about this at all, not once since it happened."  
  
She nodded. "I think my mind may have just worked the whole thing out while I was unconscious. With the undercover assignment and everything, I could block it out easily, but when that was over and we made the bust, I guess everything from the Garrison case came flooding back in."  
  
"What in the world did you dream?" He asked cautiously.  
  
She laughed at herself before telling him. "There was a demonic spirit after me and he wanted to kill you to get you out of the picture. It started as a voice, but then it took a shape. We ended up at Mark's friend's house and while we were there, it tried to kill you."  
  
He pulled her close. "No wonder you looked so scared when you came to." As he continued to hold her, he spoke. "I promise you Syd, nothing is ever going to take you away from me. I love you."  
  
She smiled as she let her head rest on his chest. "I love you too Gage."  
  
As the two held their embrace, they both heard a low moan and held each other a little tighter. "What was that?" Sydney asked, breathlessly.  
  
"The wind. It had to be the wind." Gage replied while just outside of their bedroom door, a faint image of a dark, hooded figure could be seen.  
  
"You will be mine, Ranger." It whispered.  
  
THE END 


End file.
